Monthly Archives: April 2015

From the Notebooks of a Middle School Princess by Meg Cabot

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If you’re keeping track, the big Royal Wedding is still 38 days away. I know. It’s a longMiddle School Princess time to wait to catch up with Mia and Michael and Grandmère. There’s also supposed to be a bunch of fun storylines including  the discovery of Mia’s long lost half sister. But guess what? Next month you can meet said sister, Olivia Grace, in Meg Cabot’s newest middle grade novel, From the Notebooks of a Middle School Princess.

By some strange and wonderful miracle Meg Cabot’s publisher, Feiwel and Friends sent me an advanced reader’s copy of the book so I’m thrilled to give you my review early! (Which by the way, is my own opinion and is no way influenced by the fact that I got the book for free.)

In a lot of ways I was more excited about Middle School Princess than Royal Wedding. I have a special affection for middle grade fiction and I was also fascinated with the teased storyline of Mia’s long lost sister and was anxious to meet her. A part of me was expecting a rehash of the original books and I was pleasantly surprised to find that this was not the case.

Like Mia, Olivia also keeps a diary which is how the story is told. Otherwise, the two sisters are not very much alike. The biggest difference is that Olivia is nowhere near as neurotic as Mia. She takes everything in stride and seems to have a good head on her shoulders. Unlike Mia, Olivia does not have a complete meltdown when she finds out she’s a princess. In fact, she is more concerned about meeting her father for the first time. While there are plenty of new characters we also get to see some of our old friends including Mia, Grandmère and Mia’s (and Olivia’s) dad, Prince Phillipe. I enjoyed this aspect of the book very much, especially that they were from a different perspective, Olivia’s point of view.

I found this book extremely tender and….oh gosh I’m embarrassed to admit…I even cried at one point. It was this quote:

I’d wave to my mom in heaven out the window, but I don’t want anyone to see me and ask who I’m waving to and then think I’m being weird, waving to the angel of my mom.

I believe there will be more book in this series and I absolutely can’t wait for them! I give this a Relaxed Mrs. B.

Mrs. B rating relaxed

Princess in Waiting by Meg Cabot

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I’ll admit, the first time I read Princess in Waiting, volume 4 of the Princess Diaries seriesPrincess in Waiting by Meg Cabot, I wasn’t that excited. Don’t get me wrong, I think the series as a whole is great! But there’s something about book 4 that makes it different from the rest of the books. I thought about what that might be during this current read and I think it’s the fact that book 4 is missing controversy and build up to some big event.

In Princess in Waiting the big event is Mia and Michael’s first date and the only controversy is Mia’s insecurities about how much Michael likes her. The first time I read this book I was kind of disappointed with the lack of excitement but this time around I kind of liked that quality. With all the drama and surprises of the first three books I was glad to relax a little in book 4 where Mia settles in for her second semester of high school and finds out what it’s like to be Michael Moscovitz’s girlfriend.

The other big difference about Princess in Waiting is the first half which takes place in Genovia, not New York City. Mia is, of course, bored to tears spending her Winter Break in Genovia, not to mention wild to see Michael. I, of course, loved reading about all the princessy deliciousness of the royal palace and all the activities Grandmère has lined up for Mia.

Mia’s neuroses, especially where her relationship with Michael is concerned, did get a tad on my nerves in this book. However, her constant advice seeking about romance did make for an amusing quote:

Somewhere between the two of them – Grandmère and Lilly – must lie the truth to maintaining a successful relationship with a man.

Hesitation notwithstanding , I still give this book a Shrimp Coma Mrs. B.

Mrs. B rating shrimp coma

The Bastard by John Jakes

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I first read The Kent Family Chronicles by John Jakes when I was in high school. EarlierThe Bastard this year after Jerry and I watched Sons of Liberty on History Channel I got a hankering to read the first book in the series again so I ordered a copy of The Bastard.

The first thing that struck me when I got the book was the length. It’s 528 pages. I can’t imagine reading a book that long when I was 16 but I clearly did because much of the story came back to me the second time and I enjoyed it just as much, if not more.

The first half of the book takes place in Europe starting in 1770. Phillipe Charboneau, the main character, is 17 years old and learns that he is the illegitimate son of a nobleman and heir to his fortune. Unfortunately Phillipe’s attempt to claim his father’s money doesn’t go over well with the rest of the family. They are a vengeful set so Phillipe changes his name to Philip Kent and travels to the American colonies. He lands in Boston in 1773, just in time to become involved with the rebel uprising that sparked the Revolutionary War.

In addition to having romantic relationships with large breasted women on both continents, Philip becomes acquainted with several historical figures including Benjamin Franklin, Samuel Adams and Paul Revere. Through his association with these people as well as dramatic events in his own life, Philip experiences significant historical events firsthand. He helps throw tea into Boston Harbor. He joins the militia and is one of the minute men during the retreat of the British at the Battle of Lexington.

The development of Philip’s character is interesting. He seems more like a conduit to tell a story and after 500 pages I still did not feel like I “knew” him like I did the other people in the book like Anne Ware and Marie Charboneau. That said, Philip certainly does grow and mature in the 5 years that cover the story. Jakes also very cleverly parallels Philip’s own character and inner struggles to the development of the colonies themselves. In fact, a thought that Philip has sums up the theme of the novel quite nicely and gets my award for favorite quote:

“…if America as a whole dared to seek what Sam Adams openly desired – total independency – she would be, in a sense, what he had been from the beginning: a bastard child thrust into a dangerous world alone and unprotected.”

I enjoyed this book very much. While I do have some interest in the characters and their personal stories, I loved the tie in to American history and how it relates to the characters lives. I look forward to reading the rest of the series and can see myself keeping the books around so I can read them again. I give this a Shrimp Coma Mrs. B.

Mrs. B rating shrimp coma